The World Baseball Classic has been an incredible tournament to watch, which is now coming to a close. The finals are now going to feature the home country, Team USA, and Team Venezuela. The Toronto Blue Jays have been well represented on both of these rosters, which is a promising sign going into 2026.
On the Team Venezuela roster is the Blue Jays second baseman from last season, who will likely rotate to shortstop this upcoming year with the departure of Bo Bichette- Andrés Giménez. Giménez is an elite defender, but that is not the concern Toronto’s powerhouse offense is looking at.
Giménez has played in five of his country’s games, but has the second-worst batting average on the team (.125) trailing only catcher William Contreras, who has yet to make contact in this tournament. Unfortunately, that pairs quite poorly with an OPS of .425, which is drastically dragged down by a .125 slugging percentage.
Mar 11, 2026; Miami, FL, United States; Venezuela shortstop Andres Gimenez (0) tags out Dominican Republic right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. (23) during the ninth inning at loanDepot Park | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
The Jays are known for their offense, and with Bichette taking his near 100+ RBI and 20+ home run production to the New York Mets, other players have to step up. As Giménez continues to lose confidence at the plate, there are concerns with his future moving forward as this team starts its comeback tour on Opening Day.
On the positive side, Giménez was starting to find a groove during Spring training before heading out to the WBC. He was batting .273 and slugged an impressive .727 in his 11 at-bats. That is the Giménez that has to show up in 2026 as they look to repeat as American League champions and find their first World Series victory in over three decades.
2025 Struggles
Oct 12, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays second baseman Andres Gimenez (0) looks on in the fifth inning against the Seattle Mariners during game one of the ALCS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Rogers Centre. | John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
2025 was not a year that Giménez is ever going to want to repeat again as it was his worst performances across the board since his debut back in 2020. He batted a .210 while slugging .313. Then, it did not get better in their postseason run.
By the time their near Cinderella Story came to a close he slashed .215/.288/.338. Again, those numbers have to come up or Toronto is in a real pickle as he has a massive contract through 2029. He will be paid $15 million in 2026, then it jumps up to 23 in 2027.
It is really impressive how well the Blue Jays have done throughout the tournament, but looking at Giménez stats makes someone grimace. Hopefully this turns around for him for his sake and the team’s.
